Slugs...SHOULD be Bugs..

Unfortunately they are mollusks....In spite of this, and purely for this discussion..I am pretending they are bugs...they have ugly mugs and don't deserve hugs...you can squish them with your Uggs and when you do, wear ear plugs...(Uggs rock, BTW)..they are big thugs...ruin rugs...are nothing like ladybugs..AND they have invaded 'The Wall.'  We all hate them..all of the gals have the same reaction when confronted by one of these things..."Ew...slugs are creepy and slimy and gross.  Did you touch it??"  Then we laugh hysterically about the grossness of these slugs...They are..unequivocally, the worst things ever...They lurk in the shadows..unsuspecting...they are an undeniable wall hazard.  Ick.  Triple Ick!

As you all know by now..I do have a proclivity for distractions..my attention seems to wander...tonight my thoughts were of slugs...and Uggs...and...perhaps, maybe just a teeny-tiny bit preoccupied by chainsaw jugglers..well that is entirely probable and reasonable...I need to find a cure for this focusing deficiency from which I suffer...hmmm..???   We did make some soup...Soups always seem to get the shaft...so I felt the need to step up and take matters into my own hands..soup rocks...like....so many other things that rhyme...One in particular.....STOCK!  You need stock for your soup..undoubtedly!

"Ohhh, Mama..You are SUCH a trickster!  Just move along to the making of the beef stock and show them the magic you work with those bones...Quite impressive, if you were seeking my opinion.  I, personally, know a thing or two about bones...an area of expertise for me, so to speak."

She does know her stuff...and tonight's soup necessitated the making of stock..of the beef variety...You begin with bones..They pave the way..for immense things yet to come...

Beef Bones...The key to your stock..

They are tossed with veggies and roasted in the oven for 45 minutes...It provides for a more flavorful stock...Mushy mind aside..just trust me, though..it is the right thing to do...

Toss with onions, potatoes and carrots...Roast away....Feel free to shake some bootie while things are roasting..No regrets!

Here is the final product..

You then add other veggies and water...boil for awhile...

Herbs, dried chanterelles, tomatoes, celery...Key to a great stock...Again, stock, like CSJ's rock!

The best part about this is that E.V. has an opportunity to enjoy the bones..

"Mama, my bone tip for this evening...they rock your world, no???  Where IS that chainsaw juggler????"

Now that we have our stock ready to go...it is time to move onto the components of our Caramelized French Onion Soup...in a sourdough bread bowl.  Shhhh...I kept that a secret...It was hard...However I did manage...

Onion, garlic, sugar, herbs and butter...

Slicing onions is zero fun...you cry and cry..your eyes burn...it's a sad, sad, sad situation.  Here are the sliced onions

It's all about the chemistry...blame propanethiol S-oxide...a volatile sulfur compound...it reacts with the water in your tears to form sulfuric acid...Ouch!...it is evil..it wreaks havoc on your eyes...and we won't even begin to discuss the wrinkles...

"Mama...this is ONE chemical reaction I do NOT like...not one bit...Sulfur stinks, BTW..although it is 16..and can drive...tee-hee!"

Once you survive the harrowing process of onion slicing, they are caramelized in a dutch oven..

Again, no ordinary dutch oven...but the...Dutch Oven of Rightfulness!  hahahhaa...sorry..I couldn't help myself...I blame chainsaw jugglers...absolutely not my fault...nope..not one bit...

Once they have been cooked, you deglaze with some red wine..SO, I actually purchased a bottle...And I love it...Just wait and see...it made me giggle, uncontrollably, in fact...because I suffer from these afflictions...

The absolute minute I saw this bottle, I began laughing..I tried really hard not to do so..especially because I was in a store..there were witnesses and such..but...I immediately thought of George Costanza..and how he wished to be ensconced in velvet..but only if it were socially acceptable.  ahahahahahha.  Sorry..I have really digressed...

"Come on, Mama..time's a wastin' and you, my dear, are not getting any younger...can we please eat." 

I was so distracted with my wine purchase, that I failed to mention...after the deglazing, you add your beef stock...just about a quart...I took at least 25 photos of the soup and none were blog-worthy...not that I have high standards on this blog..tisk-tisk..but the photos were THAT poor..

Our soup was served along side an arugula salad..

Arugula, blue cheese, candied pecans and carrots...I candied the pecans all by myself..Yep...I just can't find the photo.  Oops..But, I did..For reals!

The soup was served in a sourdough bread bowl, which I hollowed out and broiled...here it was with the soup...prior to plating..and cheese..

THISCLOSE to dinner...yep...just a little tease to keep things interesting...

"Awwww....no fair, Mama!  Let's get this show on the road...Oh, and I do have one other tip...I LOVE being surrounded by bones..they really do rock..Like jugglers of the chainsaw variety, right Mama??"

Soup...complete in a bread bowl, with lots of cheese and a salad...the salad totally negates that naughty bowl of soup and cheese...It does!...Do not fear the fat and calories! 

Well, again...we were a busy duo of gals...not nearly as busy as a certain dynamic duo..but we tried ;-)  It was long and hard, but we came out on top...Avoid slugs...Buy some Uggs...Give someone a hug..Don't be a thug...Vacuum your rug...Make some soup and some stock...it rocks..Experiment with bones...Shake a little bootie..Take as long as you like...I'll leave the light on..And if things get out of hand...the dutch oven of rightfulness is here to restore order and peace..Yep..Welcome to my life...